Raising voices with joy despite dementia
In a bright, spacious meeting room at Salisbury Presbyterian Church, more than 20 singers gather to rehearse Broadway songs for their spring performance. The Joyful Voices group harmonizes to The Sound of Music, lifting their voices as they sing the opening words: “The hills are alive.” One member of the chorus arrives late, but the moment she walks in the door, her mouth is... READ MORE
Distinguishing Alzheimer’s from dementia
Dear Savvy Senior: What’s the difference between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia? My aunt has dementia, but they don’t know if she has Alzheimer’s disease, which is very confusing to me. Trying To Understand Dear Trying: Many people use the words “Alzheimer’s disease” and “dementia” interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. In fact, you can have a form ... READ MORE
A passion for helping those with dementia
Elaine Rose’s husband had already been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) — a rare group of brain disorders caused by progressive nerve loss in the frontal or temporal lobes of the brain — when she knew that she could no longer care for him on her own. He’d been exhibiting “quirkier” behavior for a while, and it was getting difficult to provide him the best quality of... READ MORE
When memory loss should be a concern
Q: I have become a bit more forgetful. I read about something called mild cognitive impairment. How do you know if you have it? A: Everyone has the occasional bout of forgetfulness, whether it’s misplacing your keys or blanking out on a name. But if these episodes become frequent or interfere with daily life, you may have mild cognitive impairment, or MCI. But MCI can be tough to... READ MORE
Better early dementia detection is urged
Too few people with signs of mental decline or dementia are getting checked during routine medical visits or told when a problem is found, according to a panel of Alzheimer’s disease experts who offered new guidance this summer. The idea is to get help sooner for people whose minds are slipping — even if there’s no cure. Though mental decline can be an uncomfortable topic for... READ MORE
‘Memory books’ can spark recollections
Family photo albums can help jog an elderly friend or relative’s memories, but consider taking the photo book idea one step further: Create a “memory book” that combines personal photos with brief family stories and historical information. These can be used to help people struggling with memory loss, and give younger family members a window into older relatives’ lives. Memory... READ MORE
Raising awareness of dementia
It began with forgetting appointments and the slow erosion of remembering names, before losing the keys only to find them in the freezer. Eventually, like many Alzheimer’s patients, Anita Dahan began to walk out of her home in Rockville, Md., wandering the neighborhood lost and afraid to ask for help. Married 52 years to her husband Fernand, “she made my life heaven on earth,”... READ MORE
Help for caregivers of dementia patients
Senior Connections, the Area Agency on Aging for the Richmond metro area, works with the Association of Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) to provide a support group for those providing care for loved ones suffering from FTD. The caregiver support group meets the third Thursday of every month at Covenant Woods Retirement Community at 3 p.m. FTD — also commonly referred to as... READ MORE
